Estrogenic compounds and animal growth promoters



United States Patent 3,239,342. ESTROGENIC CUMPOUNDS AND ANIMAL GROWTH PROMOTERS Edward B. Hodge, Phil H. Hidy, and Herbert L. Wehrrneister, Terre Haute, llnd., assignors to Commercial Solvents Corporation, a corporation of Maryland No Drawing. Filed Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 432,812 16 Claims. (Cl. 99-2) The present invention relates to new compounds and an object of the present invention is to provide compounds which exhibit estrogenic activity or aid in increasing the rate of growth in meat-producing animals, e.g. cattle, lamb and swine.

A conventional formula for the compounds of the present invention is:

where R and R are hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, e.g. lower alkyl such as methyl, ethyl, hexyl, etc. or

where R is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl e.g. lower alkyl such as methyl, ethyl, hexyl, etc. with the proviso that at least one of R and R is alkyl. Compounds having the above formula wherein R, R and R are substituted or unsubstituted aryl, e.g. phenyl and bromophenyl; and aralkyl, e.g. benzyl, are also contemplated by the present invention.

The compounds can be administered to animals by any suitable method including oral and parenteral administrations. For example, the compound can be blended with ordinary feed containing nutritional values in an amount sufiicient to produce the desired rate of growth and thus be fed directly to the animals, or the compound can be suspended in a suitable injection suspension medium such as peanut oil and injected parenterally. The amount of compound fed to an animal, of course, varies depending upon the animal, desired rate of growth and the like.

When the new compounds are to be administered in feeds, an animal feed composition may be prepared containing the usual nutritionally-balanced quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, together with a compound of the present invention. Some of these usual dietary elements are grains, such as ground grain and grain by-products; animal protein substances, such as those found in fish meal and meat scraps; vegetable proteins like soybean oil meal or peanut oil meal; vitaminaceous materials, e.g. vitamin A and D mixtures; reboflavin supplements and other vitamin B complex members; and bone meal and limestone to provide minerals. A type of conventional feed material for use with cattle includes alfalfa hay and ground corn cobs together with supplementary vitaminaceous substances if desired.

The compounds of the present invention can be produced from the compound:

on E

CH==OH-(CH2)a hereinafter referred to as the fermentation estrogenic substance (F.E.S.), by alkylation to replace the H atom Patented Mar. 8, 1966 of one or both of the OH groups on the benzene ring of F.E.S. with an alkyl group. The nomenclature used herein is based upon the F.E.S. compound. For example, where both Rs are alkyl are referred to as dialkyl-, and where one of the Rs is alkyl as monoalkyh, F.E.S.

In producing compounds of the present invention where R is alkyl, conventional alkylation procedures can be used to replace the H atom of one or both of the OH groups on the benzene ring of RES. with an alkyl radical. For example, the alkylation can be by reaction with the corresponding dialkyl sulfates, e.g. dimethyl sulfate diethyl sulfate, etc., in a liquid medium such as water to produce the dialkyl F.E.S. or a monoalkyl F.E.S. with the alkyl group replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group on the benzene ring ortho to the ester group. A monomethyl F.E.S. compound with the methyl group replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group on the benzene ring para to the ester group can be selectively produced using diazomethane. In general, ambient conditions are used.

In producing compounds of the present invention where R or R is it is advantageous to alkylate one of the hydroxyl groups and then conventional acylation procedures can be used to replace the H atom of the other OH group on the benzene ring of F.E.S. with an acyl radical. Acylated F.E.S. compounds can be produced, for example, by reaction with the corresponding acid anhydride, e.g. acetic anhydride, propionic anhydrides, etc., catalyzed with, for ex ample sodium acetate or pyridine. Ambient conditions can be used although it is preferred to keep the reaction mixture cold.

The fermentation estrogenic substance (Fl-3.5.) is so named since a convenient method for producing it is by cultivating, on a suitable nutrient medium, the organism Gibberella zeae (Gordon) on deposit at the Northern Utilization Research and Development Division of the United States Department of Agriculture under the number NRRL2830.

The following examples are offered to illustrate this invention; however, the invention is not limited to the specific materials, amounts, and procedures set forth. The first example illustrates preparation of a suitable inoculum containing the organism Gibberella Zeae (Gordon) NRRL- 2830.

Example I A spore sand culture containing Gibberella zeae (Gordon) NRRL283O was aseptically placed in a sterile tube containing 15 milliliters of Czapeks-Dox solution and a small amount of agar. This medium was then incubated for about 168 hours at approximately 25 C. At the end of the incubation period, the medium was washed with 5 milliliters of sterile deionized water and transferred to a sterile tube containing 45 milliliters of Czapeks-Dox solution. The contents of the tube were then incubated for about 96 hours at about 25 C. after which the material was available for use in inoculation of a fermentation medium.

The following example illustrates the fermentation of the organism Gibberella zeae (Gordon) NRRL-2830 to produce F.E.S.

Example 11 To a 2 liter flask were added 300 grams of finely divided corn. The flask and its contents were then sterilized and after sterilization milliliters of sterile deionized water were added. To the mixture in the flask were then added 45 milliliters of the inoculum prepared by the process of Example I and the material was J thoroughly mixed. The mixed material was then incubated for about days at C. in a dark room in a water-saturated atmosphere.

The following example illustrates the recovery of F.E.S. from the fermentation medium.

Example III A 300 gram portion of fermented material produced by the method of Example II was placed in 500 milliliters of deionized water and slurried. The slurry was then heated for about 15 minutes at 75 C., 300 grams of filter aid were then added and the material was filtered. The solid filtered material containing the anabolic substance was then air dried, and 333 grams of the dried cake were then extracted with 500 milliliters of ethanol. This procedure was repeated three more times. The ethanol extract was evaporated to dryness under vacuum to give 6.84 grams of solid material. This solid material was then dissolved in 20 milliliters of chloroform and extracted with milliliters of an aqueous solution containing 5% by weight of sodium carbonate having an adjusted pH of about 11.2. The extraction process was repeated seven more times. The pH of the sodiumcarbonate extract was then adjusted to 6.2 with hydrochloric acid, to yield an anabolic substance-containing precipitate. The precipitate and the aqueous sodium carbonate extract were then each in turn extracted with 75 milliliters of ethyl ether. This procedure was repeated three more times to yield a light yellow ethereal solution, which was then evaporated to yield 116 milligrams of solid anabolic substance. This material was then subjected to multiple transfer countercurrent distribution using 100 tubes and a solvent system consisting of two parts chloroform and two parts carbon tetrachloride as the lower phase and four parts methanol and one part water as the upper phase, all parts by volume. The solid material obtained from the multiple transfer countercurrent distribution was F.E.S.

The following example illustrates the production of monomethyl F.E.S. having the methyl group replacing the hydrogen in the OH group para to the ester group of F.E.S.

Example IV Nitrosomethylurea in an amount of 1.2 grams was slowly added to a cold mixture of 3.6 milliliters of potassium hydroxide and 17 milliliters of ether. After a few minutes the yellow ether layer of the mixture was decanted, dried over potassium hydroxide, and then added to a solution of 0.30 gram F.E.S. in 17 milliliters of ether. The resulting yellow mixture was left overnight in a loosely stoppered flask and then ether and diazomethane were evaporated using a steam bath. The remaining gummy residue was crystallized by adding 3 milliliters of water, heating to C., and adding ethanol almost to solution. On cooling, crystals formed yielding 0.137 gram of a product having a melting point of Ill-116 C. which was recrystallized in the same way to yield 0.082 gram of monomethyl F.E.S. having a melting point of 120122 C. and analyzing:

Cale. Found (CuaHuO 5) Percent 0..-. G8. 7 68.3 Percent 11 7. 28 7. 38 Percent OCH 9. 34 9.17

4 hour at 1820 C. (cooling bath) and an additional 5 milliliters of dimethyl sulfate was added. After an additional minutes of stirring at 20-26 C., the solid precipitate, Solid A, was collected by filtration, washed with water and dried in a vacuum desiccator. The filtrate from Solid A was acidified with 25 milliliters 12 N H 50 to yield a second precipitate, Solid B, which was collected, washed with water, and dried.

Solid A (0.79 gram having a melting point of 114- 118 C.) was recrystallized from a mixture of 10 milliliters water and 15 milliliters ethanol to yield 0.66 gram of dimethyl F.E.S. having a melting point of 108ll0 C.

Solid B (1.39 grams having a melting point of 152- 162 C.) was recrystallized twice from a mixture of water and alcohol to yield 0.8 gram of monomethyl F.E.S. having a melting point of 169l74 C.

Analysis of recrystallized Solid B (monomethyl F.E.S.):

Example VI Monoand diethyl- F.E.S. are produced following the procedure of Example V substituting diethyl sulfate for the dimethyl sulfate.

The following examples demonstrate the activity of the new compounds according to the mouse-uterine test. Under the mouse-uterine test, a solution of the test substance is placed on a standard pulverized mouse ration and the solvent is removed by evaporation to provide a dry ration containing a known weight of the substance per gram of ration. This ration is then fed to ovariectomized mice weighing about 20 grams at a level of 3 grams per mouse per day for a period of 5 days after which the mice are weighed and the uteri removed and weighed. An increase in the weight of the uterus over the Weight of the uterus in a control animal demonstrates the presence of estrogenic activity for the test substance. The magnitude of the increase is proportional to the weight of the estrogen consumed. The method can be used as a quantitative assay by comparison with responses obtained with a pure form of the estrogen under examination.

Example VII Monomethyl F.E.S. having the formula:

CIIa-O CII CII-(CIIz)a was tested for estrogenic activity using the mouse-uterine test by feeding the compound to 5 mice. The control mice had an average uterus weight of 10.5 milligrams. When the compound was added at a level of 25 micrograms per gram of feed in the mouse-uterine test, the uterus weight was 12.2 milligrams on the average and at micrograms per gram of feed, the average uterus weight was 42.2 milligrams showing estrogenic actitvity.

Example VIII Monomethyl F.E.S. having the formula:

on f ([3113 CHaO CH=CH(OH;)3 was tested using the mouse-uterine test procedure with 10 mice and control mice having an average uterus weight of 10.76 milligrams. When the compound was added at a level of 25 micrograms per gram of feed, the uterus weight was 11.28 milligrams on the average, and at 100 micrograms per gram, the average uterus weight was 22.92 milligrams. 5

The following example illustrates the production of acylated monomethyl F.E.S.

Example IX To a solution of 368 milligrams of the p-methyl RES.

of Example IV in s milliliters pyridine is added 5 milliliters acetic anhydride and the mixture is held at room temperature for 16 hours. Twenty-five milliliters of water are then added. The mixture is stored in a refrigerator for 2 hours. The solid precipitated is collected by filtration, washed with water and dried in a vacuum desiccator and a compound of the formula:

II CHaC-O f E 20 CO-CH-(CH2)3 CHr-O GH=CH(CH2)3 is recovered.

Example X The compound:

0113-0 if 3O COOH(OH2)3 c=0 CH3C-O is produced by treating 0 methyl F.-E.S. according to the procedure of Example 'IX.

Example XI CH K-( HM O and growth promoting amounts of wherein R and R are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl and where R is lower alkyl, with the proviso that at least one of R and R is lower alkyl.

2. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is methyl and R is hydrogen.

3. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is hydrogen and R is methyl.

4. The compound of claim 1 wherein each of R and R is methyl.

5. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent and growth promoting amounts of the compound of claim 1.

6. The compound of claim 1 wherein each of R and R is ethyl.

7. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is ethyl and R is hydrogen.

8. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is methyl and R is acetyl.

9. The compound of claim 1 wherein R is acetyl and R is methyl.

10. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent and growth promoting amounts of the compound of claim 2 nutritional diluent the compound of 11. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 3.

12. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 4.

13. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 6.

14. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 7.

15. An animal feed comprising a nutritional diluent the compound of nutritional diluent the compound of nutritional diluent the compound of nutritional diluent the compound of claim 8.

16. An animal feed comprising a and growth promoting amounts of claim 9.

nutritional diluent the compound of References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,051 7/ 1958 Brian et al. 99-2 OTHER REFERENCES Stob et al.: Nature, vol. 196, page 1318, Dec. 29, 1962.

A. LOUIS MONACELL, Primary Examiner. 

5. AN ANIMAL FEED COMPRISING A NUTRITIONAL DILUENT AND GROWTH PROMOTING AMOUNTS OF THE COMPOUND OF CLAIM
 1. 